Insulator



W. D. KYLE June 20, 1933.

INSULATOR Filed Aug. 30, 1930 p mimlw Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM D. KYLE, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO LINE MATERIAL COM- PANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN INSULATOR Application filed August 30, 1930. Serial No. 478,893.

This invention relates to electric insulators in general, and more particularly tosuch insulators as are provided with a connector for establishing a connection between two or more conductors. In this respect the present insulator constitutes an improvement upon the insulator shown in my copending application, Serial No. 417,436, filed December 30, 1929. While the insulator of the present invention is of general application, it is particularly applicable for dead ending insulated drop wires.

In electric wiring work it is customary for the wiring contractor to furnish the wire connections from the side of the building into the house. The power company extends a connection to the house from the pole carry ing the power lines and at the same time it establishes a connection to the conductors located by the contractor on the side of the building and extending into the house. The

incoming power wire is extended through an" eye or perforation in an insulator or is wound around a groove in the insulator and the span is drawn tight. The end of the wire is then bent back and twisted about the main part of the span wire to hold the same tight against. the head of the insulator. A connection is then made between the span conductor and the Wire extending along the side of the house. Heretofore, it has been necessary to solder the conn ection in order to secure a satisfactory joint having a low electrical resistance. It is a particular object of the present invention to provide an insulator adapted for dead ending a line wire, wherein the insulator is provided with a terminal whereby the desired connections may be made without the necessity of soldering the connec' tion. While the insulator of the present invention is particularly useful for dead ending a line wire it is also capable of other uses and I do not wish to be limited to any particular use to which my insulator may be put.

In the embodiments of the invention herein illustrated, I provide an insulator having a body portion of frangible insulation, preferably porcelain, although the invention is not limited to the use of such material. My insulator is of an improved construction and is provided with novel means for mounting the same. The mounting means comprises a U-shaped frame member with a lag screw attached to the bottom thereof. The arms of the U-shaped portion are arranged to em brace the insulator and to be secured thereto by means of a bolt or the like which passes through the free end of the U-shaped frame and through an opening'in the insulator. I propose to use a single bolt for securing the insulator and /the frame member together. In order to prevent swinging movement of the insulator with reference to its supporting frame I arrange the insulator and the frame so that they engage one another at at least one point spaced from the bolt. One embodiment of my invention herein illustrated effects this engaging movement by providing the insulator with grooves on the opposite sides thereof, the arms of the U-shaped frame member resting in the grooves. In another embodiment of my invention the insulator is provided with an integral projecting portion which extends through an opening in the arm of the U-shaped frame, this projecting portion being spaced from the place where the bolt that secures the insulator to the fram member extends.

My improved insulator is provided with a suitable aperture or eye whereby the same may be used for dead ending a drop wire or, the like. A connector is mounted within the eye portion for establishing. a connection between the drop wire and the line wire. The connector may be of any approved construction and is mounted entirely within the opening in the body of the insulator so that no portion of the connector is exposed, thereby preventing accidental contact with the connector. The use of a connector obviates the necessity for soldering the connection and, since the connector in secured to the insulator and substantially enclosed thereby so as to leave no exposed portions, it is not necessary to tape the connection in order to guard against swinging of grounded or live parts into engagement with the connector.

My improved insulator connector structure is generally mounted outside of the building into which service is extended by the conductors terminating at the insulator, hence it permits the power company to disconnect the line to the consumer outside of the building in a very efficient and simple manner.

In order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of constructing and using a device according with my invention, I shall describe, in connection with the accompanying drawing, two preferred embodiments thereof.

In the drawing: a

Figure 1 is a side view of an insulator and terminal embodying the principles of my invention;

Figure 2 is another view of the insulator shown in Figure 1, said view being taken at right angles to Figure 1; and

Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 and illustrate a modified form of my invention.

Reference may now be had more particularly to the form of my invention shown in Figures 1 and 2. The insulator is shown in general by the reference numeral 1 and is made of suitable insulating material which is preferably, although not necessarily, porcelain or other suitable frangible material. The insulator 1 has a head portion 2 and a body portion 3 integral therewith. An eye or perforation 4 extends transversely through the insulator between the head portion and the body portion,'these two portions being connected together by the integral side walls 5 and 6. The head portion between the side walls is provided with a groove 9 for holdin a line wire or other wire that may be looped around it. The edges of the groove portion where the same emerges with the side walls are well rounded to prevent injuring of insulation that may surround the'conductor and to suitably distribute electrostatic stresses within the body of the insulator.

A terminal connector member 15 is located within the eye 4. This connector member may comprise merely a rectangular block of copper or other suitable conducting material, said block being rovided with one or more openings for recelving the b'ared ends of the conductors that are to be electrically connected together. In this instance I have shown two such openings indicated at 16 and 17 and extending through the block. This block rests freely within the eye of the insulator.

Each of the side walls 5 and 6 of the insulator are provided with a set of perforations through which screws indicated at 20 and 21 are extended, said screws being extended into tapped openings in the block 15. These openings extend up to the respective openings 16 and 17 so that upon threading the screw members 20 or 21 into the block they will force the bared end of a conductor that may be inserted into the corresponding opening 16 or 17 into firm engagement .with the side wall of that opening, thus firmly holding the conductor in place and establishing good electrical conductivity between the conductor and the block 15.

In order to facilitate mounting of the insulator, the head portion is provided with a central opening extending therethrough and at a right angle to the direction of the eye or perforation 4. This opening is indicated at 20 and is adapted to receive a bolt or the like. The insulator is mounted by means of a U-shaped frame member 25, the arms of which extend along the sides of the insulator, within grooves or channels formed therein. A bolt 26 is passed through the free ends of the arms of the U-shaped member, said bolt also passing through the opening 20 in the insulator. The insulator cannot swing about the pin or bolt 26 due to the fact that the arms of the frame member sit within the channel groove in the sides of the insulator.

The base of the frame member 25 is provided with a self piercing wood screw 28. This screw may be formed integrally with the frame member or it may constitute a separate piece therefrom. In the latter event the wood screw extends through an opening in the base of the frame member. which opening is preferably noncircular, the head end of the wood screw being similarly formed so that upon turning of the frame member the wood screw may be turned to turn the same into the base or other wooden support upon which the same is adapted to be mounted. The screw 28 may be turned into its mounting by turning the insulator 1, thereby turning the frame 25 and the screw. A screw driver or other tool may be inserted through the eye 4 to facilitate'turning of the insulator, said screw driver or other tool acting merely as a lever for afiording a greater mechanical advantage to facilitate turning of the insulator.

Reference may now be had more articularly to the modification shown in igures 3 and 4. This construction is substantially similar to the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 and insofar as this similarity exists the description thereof will not be repeated. Similar reference numerals are used to donate similar parts. In this form of construction the insulatori'ss not provided with a groove or channel such as the groove within which the arms of the frame 25 fit, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2. Instead, the insulator is provided with projecting bosses 4040 on the outer sides of the side walls 5 and 6. The connector terminal 15 is provided with a single screw on each side thereof, said screw corresponding in function to the function of the two screws 20 and 21 of Figures 1 and 2. This sin le screw 201 extends through an opening in the side walls 5 or 6 and through the center of the bosses 40-40.

For this purpose the bosses are provided with a central opening into which the head of the screw may pass. The head of the screw then abuts against the outer side of walls 5 or 6, as the case may be. The arms 41 of the U-shaped frame are formed as to define an opening 43. To mount the insulator in the frame 25', the arms 4141 are spread apart so as to permit the bosses to pass between the iirmsand when the bosses come opposite the spaces or openings 43 in-the respective arms, the arms of the frame are permitted to spring together under their own resiliency to hold the insulator in place. The bolt or pin 26 may then be inserted in place in the same manner as was previously described in connection with Figures 1 and 2. In other respects this insulator may be of the same construction as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

While I have shown my improved insulator as mounted upon my improved frame it is not limited to such mounting means as it may be mounted in any other manner without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, it may be mounted upon a secondar rack with the arms of the secondary no corresponding either to the arms of the clip shown in Figures 1 or 2, or Figures 3 and 4. It may also be mounted in any other preferred manner and while it is particularly useful for said dead ending span or drop wire, it may be put to other uses.

In comp iance with the requirements of the patent statutesI have herein shown and described a few preferred embodiments of my invention. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific constructions herein shown nor to the specific use to which they may be put, both of the above being shown and described merely for illustrative purposes. What I consider new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As an article of manufacture. a self mounting insulator assembly suitable for dead ending an insulated drop wire, said assembly comprising a body of frangible insulation consisting of a head portion and a body portion integral therewith, said insulator having an eye formed therein by a transverse perforation separating the head portion from the body portion, said head ortion being provided with well rounded edges suitably for looping an insulated wire therethrough in any angular position, said assembly including a frame member embracing the insulator and provided with a pointed wood screw and having a flat seating surface for sustaining an endwise pull on the insulator bv the drop wire. and a terminal member within the eye of the insulator and substantially free of projections outside of the insulator, said terminal being adapted for establishing a connection with the end of a drop wire held by the head portion of fran- 35 gible insulation.

is loo 2. In combination, an insulator comprising a bod portion of insulation, a frame embracing th and supporting the same, said insulator havmg an eye formed therein, a terminal within the eye portion, a portion of the insulation on the outer side walls of the eye portion extending throu h the frame and having an opening therein for manipulating thev terminal.

3. In combination, an insulator having an opening therein, a terminal within the openmg, said insulator having a second opening extending from the outside to the first mentioned opening, screw means extending in said second mentioned opening and threading into the terminal, said screw means constituting the means for securing a conductor to the terminal, said insulator having an outward projecting portion of insulation substantially surrounding the second mentioned opening for preventing accidental contact with the screw means, and a frame member including a pair of arms embracing the insulator, one of said arms having an opening into which said projecting portion extends.

4;. An insulator comprising a body portion, a'transverse opening, a frame including a pair of arms for embracing the insulator, and means for removably mounting the insulator between the arms of the frame, said insulator having a projecting portion spaced from the mounting means and extending through an opening in one of the arms of the frame for reventin turnin of the insulator in'the rame, sai projecting portion having a centrally located opening therein communicating'with the transverse opening.

5. An insulator comprising a body portion, a frame including a pair of arms for embracing the insulator, and means for removabl mounting th insulator between the arms 0 the frame, s insulator having a projecting portion extending through an opening in one of the arms of the frame for preventing turning of the insulator in the rame, said projecting portion having a central opening therein, a terminal within the insulator, and a screw member therefor extending into the opening and insulated from the arms of the frame. g

6. In combination, an insulatoncomprising a body of insulation having an eye formed therein, the portion of the insulation lying to one side of the eye having well rounded edges and ada ed to hold a wire when the same around that portion, said portion of the insulator having an opening extending therethrough for receiving a mounting bolt, a terminal member in said eye, a mounting frame member having a pair of arms enibracin the insulator, a bolt extending through t e opening and through the armsof the frame members for securing the same to the frame member, said frame member e opposite sides of the insulator.

having a screw extending therefrom, said screw being non-rotatable with respect to the frame whereby upon applying a turning force to the frame the screw is turned to 5 mount the frame, at least one of the outer sides of the insulator having a projecting portion extending through one of the arms and provided with a central opening therein which extends into the eye for permitting the insertion of a tool therethrough for manipulating the terminal member.

7 In combination, an insulator comprising a body of insulation having an eye formed therein, the portion of the insulation -lying to one side of the eye having well rounded edges and adapted to hold a wire when the same is looped around that portion, a terminal member in said eye, a mounting frame member having a pair of arms embracing the insulator, said frame member having a screw extending therefrom, said screw being non-rotatable with respect to the frame whereby upon applying a turning force to the frame the screw is turned to 26 mount the frame, at least one of the outer sides of the insulator having a projecting portion extending through one of the arms and provided with a central 0 ening therein which extends into the eye or permitting 30 the insertion of a tool there through for manipulating the terminal member.

8. In combination, an insulator comprising a body of insulation having an eye formed therein, the portion of the Insulation lying to one side of the eye having well rounded edges and adapted to hold a wire when the same is looped around that portion, a mounting frame member having a pair of arms spaced apart by an amount at least ll) equal to the thickness of the insulator and embracing the insulator and including means supporting the insulator, said frame member having a screw extending therefrom, said screw being held by the frame against rotation with respect to the frame whereby upon applying a turningdorceto the frame the screw is turned to mount the frame, one of the outer sides of the insulator having a projecting portion extending into the arm for so preventing turning movement of the insulator with respect to the frame, said projecting portion having an opening therein extending to said eye.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 27 day of August, 1930.

WILLIAM D. KYLE. 

